Method of forming bent wooden articles and preventing straightening thereof.



T. R. BRUFFY. METHOD OF FORMING BENT WOODEN ARTICLES AND EEEVENTINGSTRAIGHTENING THEREOF.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTQEE.

THOMAS R. BRUFFY, OF NEWLYN, WEST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF FORMING BENT WOODEN ARTICLES AND PREVENTING STRAIGHTENING THEREOF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed December 31, 1909. Serial No. 535,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS R. BRUFFY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newlyn, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Method of Forming Bent Wooden Articles and Pre venting Straightening Thereof, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the method of forming bent wooden articles and has for its object the provision of a means for preventing subsequent straightening of the bent article.

It is well-known that the curved ends of most wooden articles such as handles for plows, straighten after having been exposed to the elements for a comparatively short time. This straightening of the plow handle causes no end of annoyance to the operator inasmuch as the plow can not be properly guided through the furrow. Various constructions in plow handles have been offered to overcome this tendency to straighten, among which is the usual method of sawing or in other words, turning the curvature at the end of the plow handle. With this method unless great care is given to selecting the proper grain of wood, the handle will invariably break when straightened to a comparatively slight degree; the best results being obtained when the grain does not extend transverse the highest point in the curvature in the handle, and even then ordinary exposure in some cases causes the handle to split.

The present invention, therefore, aims at the production of a handle provided with a metallic core, the latter being curved to the configuration of the handle so that any tendency of the latter to straighten will be checked by the core.

WVith these and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of the device may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a handle, partly in section and showing the position of the parts before the curvature is made. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the curvature in sec tion and the position of the parts after the curvature has been made.

The shank of the handle is designated by the numeral 5 and at one end is secured to the beam, (not shown), while the opposite end terminates in the narrow handle 6. Extending through the longitudinal center of the handle 6 is a bore, the inner end of which terminates at the shank 5. This bore is formed in the handle 6 before the latter is curved. WVhen the bore is formed thus there is passed therethrough a metallic rod 7. The rod 7 corresponds in length approximately to the length of the bore and its inner end is provided with upstruck portions constituting spurs 8. The outer end of the rod 7 terminates in a flat head 9 which bears on the extremity of the portion 6, and, when the parts are so positioned, the portion 6 is subjected to steam and after the exposure to steam has been sufficiently long to render the part 6 flexible, the entire structure is subjected to a strain whereby the portion 6 and rod 7 are given the required curvature. It will be evident after the curvature has been formed and the parts thoroughly seasoned, that exposure to the elements will have no effect whatever on the metallic core, that is, with respect to straightening the same, whereby the curvature of the handle will, at all times, remain the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, is

The method of forming bent wooden articles and preventing straightening thereof which consists in passing through the end portion of the article to be curved, a metallic rod and then steaming the said end portion until the required degree of flexibility is attained, after which the said end with the rod therein is bent to the required shape.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS R. BRUFFY.

Witnesses:

E. A. THOMAS, D. A. MCDEVITT. 

